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The relations between God and his ancient people were not so rigid as they are sometimes supposed to have been. It was not all enactment on the one hand, and obedience or disobedience on the other. We find illustration here -

I. THAT THE LAW OF GOD LEAVES AMPLE ROOM FOR THE PLAY OF SPONTANEOUS DEVOTION. Under the inspiring influence of some signal mercies, individual or national, the Israelite might devote to God either

(1) a person (verse 2), or

(2) an animal (verse 9), or

(3) a house (verse 14), or

(4) a piece of land (verse 16).

This was to be a singular vow (verse 2), the dedication of something over and above that which was, by law, already appropriated to the service of Jehovah (see verses 26, 30). It was and is the will of our God that special favours received at his hand, or special influences wrought by his Spirit in our heart, should be marked by optional and exceptional services on our part. We may, when thus animated by gratitude for his kindness, or penetrated with a sense of his goodness and grace, freely and spontaneously bring to the altar of our Lord

(1) our possessions,

(2) our time and labour,

(3) our children (whom we may surrender to his service in distant and dangerous scenes),

(4) any precious thing which we are not bound to give, but which we voluntarily and joyfully lay at his feet.

II. THAT THE FORM OF OUR DEVOTION MAY CHANGE SO LONG AS THE SPIRIT OF IT IS RETAINED. The Israelite who vowed a "person" redeemed the vow by presenting money according to a nicely graduated scale (verses 3-8); or he might redeem a beast by paying money equal to its estimated value, together with one-fifth part added thereto (verse 13); so with a piece of land (verse 19): In a similar way, we may resolve and may undertake to give ourselves or our possessions to some particular sacred cause, and there may arise conditions which render it undesirable or even impossible for us to complete our work. In such case our Lord does not hold us to a mere literal fulfillment; what he looks for, and should certainly receive at our hands, is some equivalent in which we at least as freely express our gratitude and devotion. The essential thing is to preserve the spirit of our piety, and also to maintain a good measure of its most suitable expression, whatever that, at any time, may be.

III. THAT WE MAY GO SO FAR IN THE WAY OF DEDICATION THAT IT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE TO RETIRE. The Jew under the Law might, as we have seen, redeem certain things at a certain point; but there was a point at which everything was irredeemable. No "devoted thing" could be redeemed (verses 28, 29). A beast "devoted to the Lord" must be offered up; an enemy once "devoted" must be put to death. When this point is reached in Christian consecration must be left to each Christian conscience. But we may contend that withdrawal is seldom, if ever, allowable when

(1) there has been a solemn and formal dedication of person or substance in the presence of Christ and his people;

(2) an overt action has been taken which commits other people, and when our retirement would involve theirs also;

(3) such withdrawal would bring dishonour on the sacred Name we bear. Under such conditions as these we must proceed at all risks and costs, and having vowed, we must "pay unto the Lord our God" (Psalm 66:11). - C.

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KJV: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

WEB: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,